Legal AI Virtual Summit

Fiona McLay

Founder, mclay legal consulting

Fiona is the founder of McLay Legal Consulting and a legal tech author. She is a friendly face in the world of legal tech and helps lawyers make their firms more profitable and enjoyable places to work by harnessing the smart use of the right tech.
Her book, “Tech Enabled Lawyer” is jam-packed with practical insights and has been described as “the guide the industry has been crying out for”.

With 25 years as a dispute resolution lawyer under her belt, Fiona has experienced big city firms, in-house, and smaller, more innovative firms. This journey has given her an insider’s view of how different law firms use their tech – and how to help them do it better.

Fiona speaks at industry events, teaches at the College of Law, and is a Geeky Guru at the Centre for Legal Innovation. She is dedicated to implementing and teaching technology, believing small tech tweaks can make a huge difference. She loves showing lawyers who aren’t into tech how a few small changes can make their work more efficient and more fun.

Fiona Chui

associate, minterellison

Fiona is an Associate in the MinterEllison AI Advisory team, based in Sydney. Fiona is an expert regulatory lawyer and works specifically in clients in high regulated industries including health and education.

As part of the AI Advisory team, Fiona assists clients with AI Governance, including advising in relation to privacy laws and recent Privacy Act reforms regarding automated decision-making systems, the complex AI regulatory landscape, and procurement guidance. The AI Advisory team also specialises in developing and drafting relevant policies to ensure the safe and responsible use and adoption of AI for both private and Government entities in various industry sectors including education, health, and banking and finance. Fiona also has experience in corporate commercial contracting for health services and private health care providers, and also advises on health regulatory matters such as TGA approvals, software as medical devices, and clinical trials.

Doug Morrison

Client Success Manager, Sentrian

Doug is a Client Success Manager at Sentrian, bringing a friendly face and a wealth of experience to the role since relocating from Scotland in 2023. With a strong background in technical consultancy, Doug’s time in the UK during the rollout of GDPR sparked a lasting interest in data governance, cyber resilience, and the broader Microsoft 365 technology stack. This foundation has played a key role in shaping Sentrian’s newly launched Data Governance services.

The rapid rise of AI in recent years has delivered real, measurable benefits to the workforce—and it’s a space that has captured Doug’s curiosity. At Sentrian, he and the team have been exploring the ‘Frontier Firm’ concept, working with clients across a range of industries to embed intelligent automation and reimagine processes that empower teams to work smarter, not harder.

An avid learner, Doug holds multiple industry certifications including Microsoft’s Information Security Administrator, Security Administrator & Azure AI Fundamentals to name a few.

When not bringing new technologies to clients or otherwise in front of a computer screen, Doug spends time with the family and can usually be found kicking a football around and coaching his sons’ team or cheering from the sideline for his daughter’s Sports Aerobics squad.

Caralee Fontenele

Director, Scalable Law

Caralee is the passionate driving force behind the Collective Family Law Group based in South East Queensland, Australia. She founded her firm in 2012 to bring positive change to the family law space for both clients and employees.

Leading a law firm and legal team made Caralee realise it can be a lonely journey. So she was inspired to develop and found her business Scalable Law, which supports entrepreneurial law firm owners to scale without burnout. Over the last couple of years since starting Scalable Law, Caralee has helped more than 120 law firm owners to increase their profit freedom so that they can achieve their dreams as law firm owners.

David Burnton

Managing Principal, Lawlux

Dave is the Managing Principal of Lawlux, an Australian law firm that blends cutting edge generative AI technology with experienced lawyers to save companies time and money. The innovative law firm recently won a Digital Design Award at the Good Design Awards in Sydney. Dave worked at leading national law firms for over a decade before going out on his own with the purpose of making it easier for companies to understand the law and comply with it.

Yule Guttenbeil

Principal, Attune Legal

Yule Guttenbeil is a Melbourne-based commercial lawyer, Principal of Attune Legal, and founding member of the Lex Nova Guild, specialising in energy, technology, and intellectual property law. He was awarded AI Consultant of the Year – SME at the 2024 Australian AI Awards for his leadership in promoting responsible and ethical AI adoption in the legal sector. Yule partners with law firms and in-house counsel to demystify AI, translating cutting-edge technology into practical, compliant solutions for day-to-day legal work. He is passionate about empowering lawyers to solve real problems using AI—streamlining workflows, enhancing client service, and navigating regulatory change with confidence and integrity.

Adriana Amato

Marketing, apac at clio

Clio is transforming the legal experience for all by creating the world’s leading cloud-based technologies for law firms—to keep lawyers and their clients better connected throughout the legal process. Firms of all sizes and practice areas use Clio products—including Clio Manage, Clio Grow, and Clio Payments—to manage firm operations, streamline billing, automate legal documents, and improve client experiences. Clio is the most widely recommended cloud-based legal technology, working with over 100 law societies and bar associations around the world, and a global customer base of 150,000.

Hayley Leung

Solutions expert, netdocuments

Hayley is a Solutions Expert at NetDocuments with a profound passion for legal technology, AI, and document management. With over a decade of experience in the legal tech sector, she has cultivated expertise in collaborating with firms across diverse regions such as Australia, New Zealand, UK, Europe, and Asia.

Her dedication lies in empowering individuals, teams, and organisations within the legal sphere, ensuring they have the best tools and strategies for document creation, automation, and management.

With multiple years of experience in the legal tech sector, Hayley brings a wealth of knowledge and a relentless drive to innovate and improve processes in the legal industry.

Samuel Junghenn

founder and ceo, ai legal assistant

Samuel Junghenn is a leading AI entrepreneur and business mentor with 25 years of experience building and scaling businesses. As Founder and CEO of AI Legal Assistant, he has transformed legal practice, delivering AI solutions that enable law firms to increase billable hours by at least 8 hours per week per lawyer.

Working with artificial intelligence for eight years, Samuel has guided hundreds of law firms through AI adoption, creating comprehensive frameworks for AI governance, data security, and professional development. His success stems from leading an exceptional development team that specialises in cutting-edge AI technologies and implementing the latest best practice.

A recognised thought leader in AI business applications, Samuel co-authors books on business growth and speaks internationally on AI strategy and organisational transformation. His influence extends to policy advocacy—authoring an influential open letter to the NSW Supreme Court Chief Justice that has shaped conversations around AI regulation in professional practice.

Samuel’s mission is empowering businesses to harness AI’s full potential whilst maintaining ethical standards and competitive advantage. Through collaborative leadership and his team’s technical excellence, he continues democratising advanced AI technology for businesses.

Daniel Lord-Doyle

ceo, mary technology

Daniel Lord-Doyle is a serial entrepreneur and AI engineer at the forefront of legal tech and AI in law in Australia. As the Founder and CEO of Mary Technology, he leads the development of the world’s first Fact Management System (FMS), designed to eliminate fact chaos and transform legal workflows.  Under his leadership, the company is redefining how legal professionals interact with case facts, making AI-powered fact management an essential tool in modern legal practice.  Beyond Mary Technology, Daniel serves as the Sydney Lead of AI Build Club, Australia’s leading AI incubator, where he mentors emerging AI startups. He is a frequent speaker at legal tech events, advocating for AI-driven solutions that enable lawyers to focus more on real legal work.

Ben Deverson

founder & managing director, lawganised

Ben Deverson is the Founder & Managing Director Lawganised, a boutique management consulting and advisory firm that exclusively services the legal profession across Australia and around the World.

Half of Ben’s 30-year career to date has been managing and leading professional services firms, including, prior to launching Lawganised, Ben was the Managing Director of a boutique law firm employing 55 staff based in Brisbane.

Despite not being a lawyer himself, Ben is a specialist on all things legal practice management and operations.

Ben and the team at Lawganised have advised over 250 law firms, including supporting clients with business planning, practice management systems, cash flow, efficiency and productivity, leadership and people & culture matters, reporting and performance metrics, mergers, acquisitions, and succession planning.

Iolanthe Gabrie

director, ruby assembly

Iolanthe Gabrie is a leading authority in digital communications for the legal sector, drawing on over 15 years as Director of Ruby Assembly—Australia’s premier legal communications agency. She empowers newlaw firms to thrive through innovative social media, content strategy, and digital storytelling. As a co-founder of LexNova Guild, Iolanthe is pioneering legaltech solutions that foster strategic collaboration and competitive advantage for independent practitioners. Her expertise bridges the gap between traditional legal practice and the demands of the digital era, making her a sought-after speaker and advisor for law firms seeking to excel in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

David Lisitsa

director, newlaw

David Lisitsa is a qualified solicitor and Director at NewLaw.com, where he leads the transformation of legal practices through strategic technology and operational change. With over a decade of experience across management consulting, IT, and accounting, he specialises in helping law firms improve efficiency by integrating, migrating, and customising practice management systems. As both a legal professional and a change management specialist, David understands the complexities involved in modernising legal operations. His expertise spans artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and business information systems—enabling him to deliver secure, future-ready solutions tailored to the unique needs of each firm.

David is committed to sustainable, measurable improvements. He emphasises collaboration and capability transfer to ensure that firms not only adopt the right tools and processes but are also empowered to manage and evolve them independently. His work consistently drives greater productivity, resilience, and long-term value for clients in the legal sector.

Ashley Kelso

CO-Founder, hivelight

Ash Kelso brings a unique set of skills and life experiences to the intersection of people, processes and technology in the practice of law. Ash is a qualified mechatronics engineer and lawyer, having practiced in both professions. Ash has grown up around the realities of running a law practice: His father founded a firm from the front room of the family home which Ash later joined and scaled, he then founded his own practice with his sister, and Ash is the co-founder of legal project management platform, Hivelight. Ash has rigorous practical experience in the use of process and technology to boost the output of legal teams, including process improvement projects, software implementations, automating damages and economic loss calculations, and even presenting a paper at the 2017 International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (before it was cool).

Fiona McLay

Founder, mclay legal consulting

Fiona is the founder of McLay Legal Consulting and a legal tech author. She is a friendly face in the world of legal tech and helps lawyers make their firms more profitable and enjoyable places to work by harnessing the smart use of the right tech.
Her book, “Tech Enabled Lawyer” is jam-packed with practical insights and has been described as “the guide the industry has been crying out for”.

With 25 years as a dispute resolution lawyer under her belt, Fiona has experienced big city firms, in-house, and smaller, more innovative firms. This journey has given her an insider’s view of how different law firms use their tech – and how to help them do it better.

Fiona speaks at industry events, teaches at the College of Law, and is a Geeky Guru at the Centre for Legal Innovation. She is dedicated to implementing and teaching technology, believing small tech tweaks can make a huge difference. She loves showing lawyers who aren’t into tech how a few small changes can make their work more efficient and more fun.

Elani Mass

managing director, recalibrate legal operations

Elani helps law firms break up with the billable hour.With a sharp eye for strategy and a soft spot for lawyers who want to do things differently, Elani guides firms through the shift to Value Pricing – cutting through the confusion and turning a daunting change into a bold, future-focussed transformation.

Elani draws on her background as a Legal Practice Manager and her credentials in Legal Operations and Legal Project Management to turn big ideas into everyday practice. Elani’s mission is to help lawyers uncover what their clients actually care about and rethink how they work by building scope, service and pricing options that reflect real value, and which create better outcomes for clients, better lives for lawyers, and the slow but sure death of the billable hour – one law firm at a time.

Tessa van Duyn

CEO, moores

Tessa is an award-winning CEO with 20 years’ experience as a public law litigator and human rights and discrimination law expert. Tessa’s focus has always been on people, humanity, equality and justice.
In her role as CEO of Moores, Tessa thrives on building authentic connections and creating a workplace culture that enables everyone to bring their best to work. Moores was crowned as the Australian Law Awards Employer of Choice in 2023 and Tessa was awarded the Australian Legal Practice Management Association’s Executive of the Year in 2023 and a Finalist in the Women in Law Awards Executive of the Year 2023. She is known for being a talented leader and she absolutely loves being a people enabler.

Tessa is a proud member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Legal Innovation, member of the ALPMA Victorian Committee and speaks regularly on the conference circuit about the human aspects of leading high performers in professional services firms and the intersection of people and legal technology.

Jennie Pakula

Principal, the lawyer’s friend

Jennie Pakula is Principal of The Lawyer’s Friend, a legal and consulting firm that helps lawyers practice confidently and well, deal with their regulatory concerns and obligations and serve their clients better.

Jennie worked in legal services regulation from 1994-2023. She held a wide variety of roles, including senior management roles, her favourite being one where she read and triaged over 14,000 client complaints.  Jennie has gained unparalleled expertise in legal profession regulation that is now available to law practices throughout Australia. She has a great love for the profession and is excited about the possibilities for increased access to justice through developing technologies. 

Jennie particularly loves encouraging and helping lawyers in small firms – especially those who want to do things differently.

Jennie’s expertise includes: 

• The Legal Profession Uniform Law and Rules 
• Client-friendly and compliant costs agreements
• Trust account management and law 
• Ethics queries
• Law practice policy and management, including supervision, ethics policies and so on 
• Dealing with complaints to the regulator 
• Managing clients well – particularly unhappy clients 
• Resolving costs disputes 
• Helping lawyers who must deal with an investigation, including compliance audits and trust records investigations 
• Helping lawyers who are being prosecuted by the regulator
• Pricing strategy for legal services 
• Implementing AI safely and ethically 
• Coaching, support, encouragement and being a sounding board. 

One of Jennie’s clients says: ‘I was privileged to not only receive incredible legal advice and services from Jennie, but the kind and generous support she gave alongside it.  I was facing an incredibly stressful time in my legal career, and Jennie guided me through it with kindness and compassion, and without judgment.  I will forever be grateful for her assistance.’